IT was a crisp winter's morning at the ALC Brahmans on property sale at Gundaroo, Nebo on Tuesday. The winds whistled through the yards, but this did not keep the buyers from rugging up and making the drive to the Collins family’s 8th annual sale.

IT was a crisp winter's morning at the ALC Brahmans on property sale at Gundaroo, Nebo on Tuesday. The winds whistled through the yards, but this did not keep the buyers from rugging up and making the drive to the Collins family’s 8th annual sale.

Vendors Alf and Louise Collins offered a total of 116 high quality bulls on the day with the sale seeing a 100 per cent clearance and a gross of $575,400, plus a strong average of $4960 that saw a slight increase from the 2017 sale result.

The entire Collins draft displayed a calm demeanor as interested buyers and children inspected the potential purchases. The relaxed behavior shown by the herd was a true testimonial to the Collins family's breeding traits of producing cattle with good temperaments. This is a quality the vendors believe is essential for low costs in labour and facilities while minimising market losses.

Top price was reached for the day by the impressive Lot 49 ALC 17-2269 (P) selling for $15,000 to buyers David and Julie McCamley, Palmalmal, Dingo.

ALC 17-2269 was from a strong dam line with four generations of exceptional fertility records attracting keen interest from the crowd. Hitting puberty at 14 months of age, the grey bull boasted a 34cm scrotal circumference, -8.8 days to calving under estimated breeding values (EBV), with a Jap Ox $ index of 54 and a Live Ex. $ of 48.

The loose skin of the scurred bull caught the eye of Julie and David McCamley.

Mr McCamley stated the young bull was the best bull offered on the day and he was willing to pay the money for the poll genetics. ALC 17-2269 will be used as a stud sire in a herd at their Dingo property.

Reaching in to the pocket for the second top price bull for the day was buyer Michael Crisp, Lorraine Pastoral Company, Cloncurry. He bought a red bull, Lot 25 ALC 17-2459 (Ps), for $12,700 during the helmsman sale.

ALC 17-2459 is the son of ALC 13-0383 Poll Ambrose with a puberty age of 13 months and a scrotal circumference of 30 cm.The red bull boasting figures of -11.9 days to calving EBV with a Jap Ox $ index of 45 and a Live Ex $ of 42.

Mr Crisp was one of the many bulk buyers present at the sale securing 8 bulls for a gross of $44,500 for an average of $5562.

Mr Collins stated he was very happy with the days result on the back of a falling cattle market with trying seasonal conditions around the state. He said it was great to see the clientele using the data supplied as a lot of preparation goes into collating the statistics for each bull. He said bidders read the data well and this was evident in the bulls selected. He mentioned the cattle handled the crowds well with the temperament being the hot topic of conversation.

Conducting the sale under the helsman bidding system on behalf of the Collins family was Brian Dawson and Phil Weiland of Brian Dawson Auctions, Wandal. Mr Dawson said with 100pc clearance this is very good result for the day. He stated with the line-up of good young bulls on offer and a complete clearance, a top of $15,000 and a $5000 average, “you could not ask for any better”.

The 116 lots were presented with very transparent data that included fertility and adaptation based on pregnancy, weaning rates and are to meet strict guidelines within set time periods.

Volume buyer Hugh Barnet, Heytesbury Cattle Company based over six stations in the Northern Territory and Western Australia secured 36 head on the day for a gross of $144,500 and an average of $4013.

A number of new buyers were present with the majority being return customers turning-up year after year to secure quality bulls. The ALC draft will go to new homes throughout central west Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.